The Blossom Tree
by AtomicKokoro
Summary: Everything is gone. There is no life, only death. There is no love, only hate. There is no one, only him. He sits alone, horrible memories and pictures tormenting him so deeply, the scars that would never heal... He only wants to see her again.


Blossom Tree

**Storyline**

Everything is gone. There is no life, only death. There is no love, only hate. There is no one, only him. He sits alone, horrible memories and pictures tormenting him so deeply, the scars that would never heal... He only wants to see her again. (one-shot) (Post Robotonia Saga)

**"What lies beyond the horizan is a new light, a new hope for the broken hearts and tormented souls, a place of good for the wicked, a place of belonging for the outcasts..." - ME!**

Pink faires danced about in the warm breeze. He cuddled his knees, leaning against the old blossom tree. He stared out to the hills. Lushious green grass, so green, as green as his very belt.

Pink blossoms dripped from their branches, floating to the ground for a rest before the wind swept it off the round and carried it away. He sighed.

He eyed a silver blade by his side, gleaming vividly, masked under a single cherry blossom that had fallen but had never been lifted by the warm breeze, never unlightened like his tortured soul.

He wished he could be as free as the cherry blossoms. Free, without worries of death and pain. It felt so empty, so dark inside, so cold... He shivered, just from the feeling of an inner force, taking the warmth of his body and causing such discomfort.

Everyone... gone.

He wasn't surprised he was still alive. He had always lived through the toughest parts of life, and had always managed to come on top. But that had changed now.

The pain was unbearable, so emotionally unbearable. He had failed so miserabley, failed to protect what he had protected for so long... no survivors but himself.

The city blasted to ruins, nothing but lifeless bodies littered along the road.

Rain poured down onto him, blending tears with the water from the heavens. He called out, his voice cracking from the death and destruction around him. There was no answer, no sounds of life. Nothing stirred, nothing moved.

Some crushed under buildings and cars, others burned to death, more cut and stabbed from shattered glass... hanging from desks, car doors, ledges of the fountain, lying on the ground in a pool of their own blood.

"What... happened...?" He choked, walking down the road, observing the endless scene of death and suffering. He continued foreward, closing his eyes tightly, holding back a scream of agony and failure.

He began to run. He began to run to the center of his hometown. He began to run to his home. He began to run... until he tripped over a small object. He got to his hands and knees and looked back. He had tripped over a small toy. It looked so familier...

He got to his knees and reached for the toy. He brought it to his hands and looked at it. A small stuffed animal. No, a real animal. A green bird. Zoran's pet, Houdinie. He felt himself choke. "Houdinie..." He whispered softly. Zoran was going to be very sad when he would tell her about the small bird.

He gasped suddenly, glancing over his shoulder at the Ministry of Science. What about all his friends and family! Surely, they didn't suffer the same fate, too... did they?

He put the bird down gentally, and jumped to his feet, sprinting towards the Ministry. He raced up the steps and burst into the building. There was no one in sight. Red paint splattered along the walls. No. Not red paint. Blood.

He bounded up the flights, skipping steps as he made his way. He raced down the hall, tears tracing from dark, pained eyes. Every step he took forced exhaustion from his mechanical body, but he continued to move.

As he turned left to the hallway, he saw something, lying on the floor; red and showered with elecricity. He felt his breath leave him without return. "No..." He bearly whispered. He was frozen for a moment... then sprinted to the body. "ATLAS!" He cried, falling to his knees as he approched the body.

He gentally shook the eighteen-year-old's body, hoping for an answer. A feeble voice said his name. His eyes opened, revealing green iris's...

...as green as the luxuriant fields that fled over the hills. The sun shone brightly. Such docile weather for a situation so baleful. He brought his knees in tighter, memory of the face he once knew flashing through his mind, causing him throe withen his mind and soul.

His mouth opened, releasing a breath. "Atlas..."

"I'm sorry..." He breathed in a pained, weakened voice. "...I couldn't protect them."

The nine-year-old let out a small gasp and was silent for a moment. He watched as Atlas smiled one last time, his head turning away. "No! Atlas!" He cried. "You'll be okay! I promise!"

"Kill that b*****d for me..." He whispered with a small giggle and faded from the boy's arms.

"NO!" The younger cried. He stared at Atlas for a moment and bowed his head. "Dear brother... may you rest in peace." He quietly chanted, lying his brother on the ground.

He slowly got to his feet and continued to sprint down the hall to O'Sheay's office. He bursted through the door and panted. He scanned the place slowly. One corpse lied on the ground. He rushed to her. The young woman had short, beautiful red hair and pale white skin. "Mizz Yuko..." He choked.

He stroked her hair but it just fell back into place again. What were the chances of finding someone... alive?

Just what were his chances? He clenched his head in his hands, the pain coursing through him like the electricty burning inside him. It was growing stronger. So unendureable...

He brought his hands down before his face, and he stared into the slits that showed the machinery inside them...

He got up and made his way out of the room, his legs too weak to run. His red boots clicked against the ground. They sounded so loud, echoing off the walls of such a famillier place.

He stumbled to a door to the right, crystal tears spilling over his lower eye lids. He gentally pressed open a door to his room, peeking in, then turned away, holding a sob back. He turned back, and watched her.

She lied in his bed, on the covers, dressed in her pink clothes. In her hands, which rested on her chest, were flowers. The same flowers he had picked with her in the feilds just outside Metro City. Her eyes lied closed; those precious, chocolate brown eyes which had always matched his own.

He jogged to the bed and stopped, standing at the side. He brushed her cheek with his fingers. "Z-Zoran..." He whispered. "I... I... I'm so sorry..."

He fell to his knees and screamed her name, unable to control his rage and sorrow. So deep, so scarring. He slammed his head against the bed and sobbed into the covers.

He sobbed into his cut hands, causing physical pain that had relieved the emotional pain inside. His own physical misery had made him feel so much better.

The memory replayed over and over and over in his head, never allowing him rest from the ever-spinning world, never allowing him to embrace such a alleviate feeling. He was a slave to his emotions. He was a prisioner to his pain.

He wanted the pain to end. He wanted it to end now! Where was his relief! Where was his painfree world! Where was _his_ hero! He had become a hero to his now dead city, everyone gone!

The agony, the pain, the suffering... It was just too much to endure!

He snatched the knife from his side, the single cherry blossom waving in the wind, and rolled to his knees. He stared at the knife for a short moment, tightening his grip on the knife. With a cry of anger, he drove the knife into the heart of his body.

He screamed in agony and fell to his side, clutching the knife that pierced his very being. The pain grew dull, as well as his life.

The world began to spin around him, forming into something else. His body churned boreal and numb. He was unable to make motion. He felt emotionless, no anger or fear or pain or sorrow withen his body, but no relief.

His eyes close to blink. It felt like an eternety before they had opened again.

He looked around. He was standing in a valley. It looked so familier. He felt no pain or sadness or rage. He felt comforted, content in such a way that made him smile. He turned and saw what he had wanted to see since the fateful day.

"Zoran." He smiled. She beamed back.

"Hey, Big Brother!" She said. "You've come!"

Everyone who had passed began to fade into view. Crystal tears streamed down his cheeks, but these weren't in sorrow. These crystal tears were in joy. He turned his focus back to Zoran.

"Yes." He replied. "I have." She giggled and charged at him, embracing him in a hug. He kneeled to her height and returned the gesture.

"Welcome, Big Brother!" She said. "We have so much to show you! C'mon!" She began to run over the hills of luscious fields. He began to chase after her, then paused and looked over his shoulder one last time.

The Blossom Tree dropped a single cherry blossom into the wind. The breeze carried it over his head and over the luscious hills where Zoran was waiting for him, waving her hand in the air to signal him. Astro waved back and chased after her.

The blossom sails into the sky and floats below the sun, casting as a single shadow in the air. The sun shines brigher, more greater.

A life may have ended, but another adventure has begun. One without war or pain. One without death or hate. One that will last an eternity. One that is of happiness and joy and pleasure and love. One with harmony and angel choirs singing the most beautiful song, the song that is heard forever, for eternity.

The sun sets behind the hills and the moon rises into the night sky, stars twinkling high above.

Forever will the world spin, forever will the blossom tree stand, forever will he stay in this perfect world, forever will be endless cycle of life and death, forever will the hours, forever will the joy and happiness...

Forever will his heart beat.

Forever will be love.

The End

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** For those of you who haven't caught on, "he" mentioned throughout the story is Astro.


End file.
